THE HOUSE THAT FORGOT HOW TO LAUGH

 There was no love missing in our house, because there was no love left to miss.That was our secret. We were not sad. Sad would have been easier.In House 24, 2nd Street, Germiston - the Molefes were perfect.6:00 AM - Alarm. 6:15 AM - Mom in the kitchen. The sound of the spoon against the pot. Same pot. Same porridge. Every day for 7 years. 6:30 AM - Dad at the table. Phone brightness on his face. He nods at Mom. Mom nods back. That's their good morning. 6:45 AM - Me and Junior. We eat with the TV on mute. Mom says TV at breakfast rots your brain, so we watch the pictures move with no sound.No one shouts. No one throws plates. Our neighbors who scream at each other at night - they have more life than us.We just... live. We pay. We eat. We sleep. We repeat.Then Mrs. Khumalo gave us the project."Grade 4s, for Life Skills this week: Record 10 moments your family laughed together."I took my pink notebook home like it was gold.DAY 1 - Monday I wrote the date and waited. Dinner....

WATCH | Slovakia’s flying car takes to the skies

  LIFE / MOTORING

The AirCar completed a 35-minute flight from Nitra to Bratislava in Slovakia this week. Picture: SUPPLIED
The AirCar completed a 35-minute flight from Nitra to Bratislava in Slovakia this week. Picture: SUPPLIED

AirCar, a dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle moved closer to production last week, fulfilling a key development milestone by completing a 35-minute flight from Nitra to Bratislava in Slovakia.

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The vehicle then folded its wings and drove the rest of its journey.

The hybrid car-aircraft has a BMW engine and runs on regular petrol-pump fuel.

Its creator, Stefan Klein, says it can fly about 1,000km, at a height of 8,200ft (2,500m). It takes under three minutes to transform from car into aircraft. When not flying, the wings fold down along the sides of the car.

Slovakian company Klein Vision's prototype AirCar is seen after landing at Bratislava airport. Picture: REUTERS
Slovakian company Klein Vision's prototype AirCar is seen after landing at Bratislava airport. Picture: REUTERS

While flying, the AirCar reaches a cruising speed of 170km/h. It can carry two people, with a combined weight limit of 200kg.

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Klein, who was the pilot, has been developing a flying car since the late 1980s and previously worked for fellow Slovakian company Aeromobil, which is working on a similar flying car. Klein left Aeromobil in 2017 to form his own company, Klein Vision, with his friend Anton Zajac.

Klein’s flying car differs from the drone-like prototypes seen in recent years, which can carry passengers but cannot be driven. The AirCar is a true flying car that can be flown through the air and driven on the road.

“With Aircar you will arrive at your destination without the hassle of getting a ride to airport and passing through commercial security, you can drive your AirCar to the golf course, the office, the mall or your hotel and park it in a normal parking space,” said Zajac.

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Klein Vision is also planning four-seater and amphibious prototypes, but hasn’t confirmed when any of them might go into production.

AirCar, a dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle reaches a key development milestone with a 35-minute flight from the international airport in Nitra to the international airport in Bratislava on June 28 2021.

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